Eight days after a contentious crowd (WSB story here) asked the King County Wastewater Treatment Division to extend the public process in deciding what to build to reduce Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) at Lowman Beach‘s Murray Pump Station, there’s no indication yet that will happen. So one neighbor has set up a legal fund. Linda Ann Coxe-mailed to announce the fund, saying “I am not convinced that anything will happen unless we can take legal action and MAKE the government stop and listen to the community.” She started the fund with $100, but says they need at least $1,000 to get something going. Community members have voiced displeasure with all three options (detailed here) that the county is evaluating regarding CSO control; all involve underground storage, with some above-ground components: The two least-popular would involve burying a storage tank by either digging up much of Lowman Beach Park, including its tennis court and century-old trees – “restoration” is promised if that is chosen – or forcing residents to leave homes/apartments across the street from the park. Cox says the account is at US Bank and it’s called “Save Lowman Beach Park.” Contributions can be made at US Bank branches or by mailing her a check payable to the fund name, 6523 California Ave SW #228, Seattle, WA 98136. Meantime, we have a message out to KCWTD to ask about the results of their “discussions back at the office” (as explained last week) regarding more public meetings, and will add any update we get here. (Also, the West Seattle Sound Angels website set up by park neighbor Dr. Ron Sterling continues to track community advocacy and information-seeking.) 3:25 PM UPDATE: Just got a call back from KCWTD’s Martha Tuttle. She says there WILL be another community meeting to discuss the data that neighbors have been requesting regarding all the potential CSO-control alternatives, including the ones that were ruled out. No date or location set yet; she says that should be announced next week. FRIDAY MORNING UPDATE: Thanks to Amanda for forwarding e-mail sent by the county to its list for those interested in not only the Murray CSO project but also Barton (by the Fauntleroy ferry dock) and two others in the north end – the public comment period has been extended to May 14. The comment form is here.

10 Comments

How about setting up a Paypal account for small donations? I haven’t written a check or mailed a bill in years. The easier you make it, the more you will get!!!

Thank you Linda Ann Cox for taking the time and caring enough to open the account and donating your money. It inspires me to go down to the US Bank at 42nd and Edmunds and make a donation. Which I will. I have also visited http://www.Soundangels.org ‘s website and e-mailed our public officials about this issue. I encourage any of you who care about West Seattle Parks to do the same.

I am a firm proponent of the notion that the government works for us. I will donate money and offer up my pub for a fund raiser to ensure that the voices of the community are heard by the people making the decisions. Feel free to give me a call at The Triangle Pub.

If we had to, could we collectively (as a city) raise $1.5 million to keep the Environmental Learning Centers running? We need to look at each of the sub-elements and have an open and very public discussion about the worth, the cost, the benefit, where it fits in our value ranking system, etc. I understand this is to raise money to more vigorously prepare to stop what is truly a set of no-win circumstances. My question is could we also do other things – like keep the ELC’s staffed and serving the dozens of thousands of kids and students and adults that they do each quarter.

I guess KCWTD doesn’t like me anymore. I was not sent the email referred to above about extending the comment period to May 14, 2010. I don’t know how to get communication from KCWTD — let’s see, I have signed up every time I have had the opportunity to comment or request information and have written my e-mail address for them so many times I have lost count. I find that more than indicative of the sloppiness of the whole operation.

I have given giant kudos to Linda Cox for this effort and will be donating, for sure! Looks like KCWTD is going to bring out the big guns now, to convince us of their agenda…. hmmm. Hope they have good data to support whatever it is. They will need it.